Foil-feeding unit for bed and platen hot die printing machine

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a printing unit for gold printing or the like for use in a platen press of the kind which prints the required symbols onto a substrate from a foil in the form of a web which is unwound outside a type bed of the press and rewound also outside the type bed. The unit comprises a delivery roller for the foil, a winding roller on which the foil is rewound, a plurality of tension rollers which content the foil, and a plurality of deflectors for the foil. These are arranged on a replaceable chase.

I Unlted States Patent 1151 3,643,593

Krosel 5] Feb. 22, 1972 [54] FOIL-FEEDING UNIT FOR BED AND 3,316,835 5/1967 Liepelt ..101/27 PLATEN HOT DIE PRINTING MACHINE 3,331,320 7/ 1967 Young et alm "W X 3,411,438 11/1968 Reader et al... ..101/9 [72] Inventor: Hans Krosel, Gladbacherstr. 56, 4018 3 7 5 12/1963 peters h I /27 X Langanfeld, Germany 3,418,924 12/1968 Kingsley .....101/27 x 22 Filed: Dec. 1 19 3,430,557 3/1969 PC1818 ..101/27 3,435,760 4/1969 Harrison ..101/27 X [21] Appl. N0.: 782,804

Primary Examiner-William B. Penn Assistant Examiner-45. M. Coven [30] Foreign Apphcauon Priority Attorney-Oberlin, Maky, Donnelly & Renner Jan. 10, 1968 Germany ..P 16 11 234.8

[57 ABSTRACT CCII. ml/271;; Is This invention relates to a priming unit for gold priming or the like for use in a platen press of the kind which prints the [58] Field of Search ..101/27, 287, 9, 10, 11, 336 required symbols onto a substrate fmm a foil in the form of a web which is unwound outside a type bed of the press and [56] Reerences cued rewound also outside the type bed. The unit comprises a UNITED STATES PATENTS delivery roller for the foil, a winding roller on which the foil is rewound, a plurality of tension rollers which content the foil, 1,261,690 4/1918 Brool ce 101/27 and a plurality f d fl t f the f iL These are arranged on 2,035,957 3/ 1936 Gahnelsen..." ....101/27 areplaceable chase 2,424,725 7/1947 We1mont ..101/336 2,641,178 6/1953 Hendt et a]. ..101/27 X 7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures FOIL-FEEDING UNIT FOR BED AND PLATEN HOT DIE PRINTING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION and to provide a printing unit for gold printing or the like which is easy to handle and accordingly quickly and safely assembled and dismantled. It is another object of the invention to ensure that the feed of the foil intended for printing is stopped before the platen is completely closed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, there is provided in or for a platen press comprising a type bed and means for advancing a gold foil from which symbols are to be printed, a printing unit comprising a replaceable chase for the type bed; a delivery roller outside the type bed from which roller the foil is unwound; a winding roller outside the type bed on which the foil is rewound after passing through the press; a plurality of tension rollers on the chase and applied to the foil; and a plurality of deflectors for the foil arranged on the chase.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the unit in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the unit shown in FIG. 1,- and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the freewheel mechanism for rotating the drive rollers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A delivery roller 3 for a roll of foil 4 is pivotally mounted by means of a support 5 on an upper crossbar 2 of a chase 1.

From this delivery roller 3, the foil 4 travels downwards over the chase l to deflector plates 7 and 8 which are arranged on a lower crossbar 60f the chase and which deflect the foil through 180, and from there back to the upper end of the chase. A heated type 9 is arranged inside the chase near the downwardly moving web of film 4. However, this type 9 may also be arranged near the upwardly returning web of foil, i.e., in FIG. 1 on the left-hand side of the chase.

In addition to the delivery roller 3, a corresponding winding roller I0 for the printed foil web is mounted on a cylinder support 11 on the upper crossbar 2 of the chase. Two tension or drive rollers 12 and 13 are also mounted on the cylinder support 11, on which the tension roller 12 is fixed, whilst the tension roller 13 is pivotally mounted on levers 14 to act as a counterpressure roller. The levers 14 are arranged such that the support carrying the delivery roller 3 raises the roller 13 from the tension roller 12 when the delivery roller 3 is swung upwards out of the position shown in FIG. 2 for inserting new foil into the unit.

In FIG. 2, the printing unit is shown in its working position, i.e., the delivery roller 3 has been lowered and the tension roller 13 likewise lowered to rest on the tension roller 12 used to feed the foil, so that the foil web 4 guided between the two tension rollers is adapted to be pulled therebetween responsive to rotating movement of the tension roller 12.

Whenever the movable platen 24, shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2, of the platen press, the fixed portion 25 of which is also shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3, is closed; the tension roller 12 rotates forwards in steps by way of a freewheel, the length of the steps being infinitely variable. In order to produce these movements, the tension roller 12 is mounted on a boss 15 the end of which projects laterally from the tension roller, to

which end a pulling rope 16 or the like is attached. The boss 15 is spring loaded by means of a spring 26 connected at one end to the boss and at its other end to the cylinder support 11, as shown in FIG. 2. The pulling rope 16 leads via a guide roller 17 fixed to the cylinder support 1] to the free front end of a lever 18 provided with a slot and pivotally mounted on the chase.

The freewheel mechanism, which is conventional and shown in FIG. 3, comprises an external ring 27 attached to the tension roller 12, and an internal disc 28 attached to the boss 15. A plurality of notches commonly designated at 29 are formed in the disc 28 and receive therein a plurality of balls commonly designated at 30, the diameters of which are less than the length of the radial shoulder of the notches 29. It will thus be seen that when the boss 15 and disc 28 rotate in a clockwise direction, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the balls are pressed by the cam surfaces 31 of the notches 29 into firm engagement with the inner wall 32 of the external ring 27 thereby rotatably coupling the boss 15 to the tension roller 12 for rotating the latter. When the boss 15 is rotated counterclockwise under the bias of spring 26, the balls 30 engage the radial faces of the notches 29 thereby pennitting the boss 15 to rotate relative to the tension roller 12. Normally, the lever 18 is in the raised position shown in FIG. 2 in which it is held by the spring loading of the boss 15 by way of the pulling cable 16 or a suitable chain hoist.

In the operation of applicants printing unit, the movable platen moves the lever 18 toward the chase 1 until it is received in the plane thereof. Such movement, which is counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 2 of the application drawing, carries with it the rope 16, which is operatively engaged to the top of the lever 18, extends around guide roller 17, and is attached at its opposite end as described to the spring-loaded boss 15. Such movement serves to rotate the drive or tension roller 12 clockwise as viewed in FIG. 2, thereby driving or pulling the foil between the rollers 12 and 13 and onto the winding roller 10. As shown in dash lines in FIG. 2, the winding roller 10 and tension or drive roller 12 are simultaneously driven through a belt or chain drive. I

To return the lever 18 to its FIG. 2, raised position, the freewheel mechanism described permits movement of the lever 18 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2, away from the chase 1 without rotative movement of the drive or tension roller 12. During such movement, the rope 16 is retracted by the spring-loaded boss 15 to condition the printing unit for subsequent advance of the foil by rotative movement of the tension roller.

To prevent the lever 18 from reaching its depressed position before the platen is completely closed, a normally upright auxiliary lever 19 carrying a roller 20 at its free end is mounted on the lever 18. When the movable platen 24 closes, the same comes into contact with the roller 20 of this auxiliary lever 19. The auxiliary lever 19 is pressed into the position shown in FIG. 2 by a spring (not shown). This spring is stronger than the spring loading of the boss 15 so that the auxiliary lever cannot be pushed into the slot in the lever 18 until this lever is in its depressed position, i.e., until the foil 4 stops moving forward. This ensures that the foil 4 is unable to make any movements during printing so that it cannot slip or tear.

The deflector plates 7 and 8 may be so mounted on the frame 1 as to be laterally displaceable. It is also possible to provide these plates with slots so that two or more sheets of foil can be passed simultaneously through the printing unit parallel to one another. Finally, it is also possible to replace the deflector plates with turning bars or the like.

It will be observed that the replaceable chase forms the frame by which the assembly as a whole is held together, so that the assembly is essentially a single unit. Before this unit is installed, the heated type may be fitted into the chase in the usual way. Introduction of the chase into the platen press does not present any difficulties because the operation involved is a normal one to which any printer is well accustomed.

What is claimed is:

1. A printing unit for replaceably attaching between the platens of a platen press having two spaced platens one of which is movable into close proximity to the other platen to provide a printing stroke, said unit comprising a chase having an upper and lower crossbar interconnected by marginal side bars for holding printing members such as a type bed between said bars, said chase having mounted on said upper crossbar means for advancing a metallic foil from which symbols are to be printed by means of said printing members onto sheet or web material, a rotatably mounted delivery roller supported by said chase from which roller the foil is unwound, a rotatably mounted winding roller supported by said chase on which the foil is rewound after passing over said chase, said advancing means comprising a pair of drive rollers at least one of which is operatively connected to said winding roller, means on said chase operatively engaged by said movable platen only upon closing for driving said one drive roller for driving said winding roller to wind up said metallic foil, said drive rollers being provided with a freewheel and a springloaded boss connected through the freewheel to said one drive roller, a pulling rope drivingly connected at one end to the boss to be wound on or unwound from said boss, a guide roller contracting the pulling rope, a first lever pivotally mounted on said chase and operatively connected to the other end of said pulling rope, said first lever being normally raised with its free end from the plane of said chase by means of said springloaded boss and the pulling rope attached thereto, said first lever being depressed by said movable platen of said platen press to rotate one of said driver rollers for stepwise advancing said foil over said chase, said first lever being provided with a slot for receiving a second lever pivotally mounted on said first lever, said second lever being normally raised by spring means above said first lever and received in said slot only when said first lever has reached its depressed position, and deflectors carried by said chase for guiding the foil over said chase from said delivery roller to said winding roller.

2. A printing unit for replaceably attaching between the platens of a platen press having two spaced platens one of which is movable into close proximity to the other platen to provide a printing stroke, said unit'comprising a chase having an upper and a lower cross bar interconnected by marginal side bars for holding printing members such as a type bed between said bars, said chase having mounted on said upper bar means for advancing a metallic foil from which symbols are to be printed by means of said printing members onto sheet or web material, a rotatably mounted delivery roller supported by said chase from which roller the foil is unwound, a rotatably mounted winding roller supported by said chase on which the foil is rewound after passing over the chase, said advancing means comprising a pair of drive rollers at least one of which is operatively connected to said winding roller, means on said chase operatively engaged by said movable platen only upon closing for driving said one of said drive rollers for driving said winding roller to wind up said metallic foil, said drive rollers being mounted on said chase, and deflectors on said lower bar of said chase for guiding said foil over the chase from said delivery rollers to said winding rollers.

3. A printing unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the drive rollers are arranged in the path of travel of the metal foil immediately in front of the winding roller.

4. A printing unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of said drive rollers is provided with a freewheel and a spring-loaded boss connected through the freewheel to said one drive roller, a pulling rope drivingly connected at one end to the boss to be wound on or unwound from said boss, a guide roller contacting the pulling rope, and a first lever pivotally mounted on the chase and operably connected to the other end of said pulling rope, said first lever being normally raised with its free end from the plane of said chase by means of said spring-loaded boss and the pulling rope attached thereto, said first lever being adapted to be depressed by the movable platen of said platen press to rotate one of said drive rollers for stepwise advancing said foil over said chase.

5. A printing unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first lever is provided with a slot for receiving a second lever pivotally mounted on said first lever, said second lever being normally raised by spring means above said first lever and received in said slot only when said first lever has reached its depressed positionv 6. A printing unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said delivery roller is pivotally mounted on the frame or chase.

7. A printing unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the other of said drive rollers is pivotally mounted on the frame in such manner that when said delivery roller pivots said other drive roller is simultaneously swung into its operative position or its rest position, with the latter such position permitting insertion of new foil into the unit. 

1. A printing unit for replaceably attaching between the platens of a platen press having two spaced platens one of which is movable into close proximity to the other platen to provide a printing stroke, said unit comprising a chase having an upper and lower crossbar interconnected by marginal side bars for holding printing members such as a type bed between said bars, said chase having mounted on said upper crossbar means for advancing a metallic foil from which symbols are to be printed by means of said printing members onto sheet or web material, a rotatably mounted delivery roller supported by said chase from which roller the foil is unwound, a rotatably mounted winding roller supported by said chase on which the foil is rewound after passing over said chase, said advancing means comprising a pair of drive rollers at least one of which is operatively connected to said winding roller, means on said chase operatively engaged by said movable platen only upon closing for driving said one drive roller for driving said winding roller to wind up said metallic foil, said drive rollers being provided with a freewheel and a spring-loaded boss connected through the freewheel to said one drive roller, a pulling rope drivingly connected at one end to the boss to be wound on or unwound from said boss, a guide roller contracting the pulling rope, a first lever pivotally mounted on said chase and operatively connected to the other end of said pulling rope, said first lever being normally raised with its free end from the plane of said chase by means of said springloaded boss and the pulling rope attached thereto, said first lever being depressed by said movable platen of said platen press to rotate one of said driver rollers for stepwise advancing said foil over said chase, said first lever being provided with a slot for receiving a second lever pivotally mounted on said first lever, said second lever being normally raised by spring means above said first lever and received in said slot only when said first lever has reached its depressed position, and deflectors carried by said chase for guiding the foil over said chase from said delivery roller to said winding roller.
 2. A printing unit for replaceably attaching between the platens of a platen press having two spaced platens one of which is movable into close proximity to the other platen to provide a printing stroke, said unit comprising a chase having an upper and a lower cross bar interconnected by marginal side bars for holding printing members such as a type bed between said bars, said chase having mounted on said upper bar means for advancing a metallic foil from which symbols are to be printed by means of said printing members onto sheet or web material, a rotatably mounted delivery roller supported by said chase from which roller the foil is unwound, a rotatably mounted winding roller supported by said chase on which the foil is rewound after passing over the chase, said advancing means comprising a pair of drive rollers at least one of which is operatively connected to said winding roller, means on said chase operatively engaged by said movable platen only upon closing for driving said one of said drive rollers for driving said winding roller to wind up said metallic foil, said drive rollers being mounted on said chase, and deflectors on said lower bar of said chase for guiding said foil over the chase from said delivery rollers to said winding rollers.
 3. A printing unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the drive rollers are arranged in the path of travel of the metal foil immediately in front of the winding roller.
 4. A printing unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of said drive rollers is provided with a freewheel and a spring-loaded boss connected through the freewheel to said one drive roller, a pulling rope drivingly connected at one end to the boss to be wound on or unwound from said boss, a guide roller contacting the pulling rope, and a first lever pivotally mounted on the chase and operably connected to the other end of said pulling rope, said first lever being normally raised with its free end from the plane of said chase by means of said spring-loaded boss and the pulling rope attached thereto, said first lever being adapted to be depressed by the movable platen of said platen press to rotate one of said drive rollers for stepwise advancing said foil over said chase.
 5. A printing unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first lever is provided with a slot for receiving a second lever pivotally mounted on said first lever, said second lever being normally raised by spring means above said first lever and received in said slot only when said first lever has reached its depressed position.
 6. A printing unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said delivery roller is pivotally mounted on the frame or chase.
 7. A printing unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the other of said drive rollers is pivotally mounted on the frame in such manner that when said delivery roller pivots said other drive roller is simultaneously swung into its operative position or its rest position, with the latter such position permitting insertion of new foil into the unit. 